Cellophane tape dispenser

ABSTRACT

A dispenser for supporting and dispensing pressure-sensitive transparent tape from a roll wherein the tape has adhesive on its inner wound surface, said dispenser having means for supporting the roll for unwinding rotation about a horizontal axis, a cutter bar mounted on the dispenser in substantial horizontal alignment with said axis and having a longitudinal V-shape and a serrated forward edge allowing an appendage from the tape to be pulled forwardly under the bar with the dry side up, and a ledge spaced below the cutter bar and having a centrally recessed upper surface so as to contact only the edge portions of the appendage when it rests thereon.

United States Patent Youngstrom I54] CELLOPIIANE TAPE DISPENSER [72]Inventor: Clifford L. Youngstrom, 304 Commonwealth Avenue, Duluth, Minn.55808 [22] Filed: Oct. 7, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 78,821

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No.790,765, Jan.

13, 1969, abandoned.

[52] U.S. Cl. ..225/26, 225/88, 225/90 [51] Int. Cl. ..B26f 3/02 [58]Field of Search ..225/25, 26, 77, 80, 88, 47, 225/20 [56] ReferencesCited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,324,349 7/1943 Atkins ..225/25 X2,424,486 7/1940 Miller ..225/25 51 Oct. 24, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,014,253 8/1957 Germany ..225/26 Primary ExaminerAndrew R.Juhasz Assistant Examiner-Leon Gilden Att0rney-Carlsen, Carlsen & Sturm57 ABSTRACT A dispenser for supporting and dispensing pressuresensitivetransparent tape from a roll wherein the tape has adhesive on its innerwound surface, said dispenser having means for supporting the roll forunwinding rotation about a horizontal axis, a cutter bar mounted on thedispenser in substantial horizontal alignment with said axis and havinga longitudinal V- shape and a serrated forward edge allowing anappendage from the tape to be pulled forwardly under the bar with thedry side up, and a ledge spaced below the cutter bar and having acentrally recessed upper surface so as to contact only the edge portionsof the appendage when it rests thereon.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures ATENTEDUBI 24 m2 P m flm fln l ///M/ v Q INVEN TOR 3 9 w V0,. M I 0 F a 1 CELLOPHANE TAPE DISPENSER CROSS-REFERENCETO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part ofSer. No. 790,765 filed Jan. I3, 1969 now abandoned.

BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION Rolled pressure sensitive cellophane tapes ofthe Scotch brand type are normally dispensed from the roll by pulling asection of the desired length outwardly over a cutter bar with tackyside down and then moving the section downwardly so that it is severedfrom the remainder of the roll by a serrated or sharpened edge of thecutter bar. Such dispensing devices make it necessary for the user tograsp the tape between the roll and the cutter bar, causing fingersmudges over a considerable area of the strip being dispensed and makingit very difficult to judge the proper length of the strip desired beforecutting it off. Additionally by cutting from the tacky side of the tapethe cutter bar becomes gummed up rendering it less and less effective assucceeding strips are cut.

The smudging of the tapeis particularly objectionable where it is to beused to cover printing which must be read through the tape. An exampleof this type of use is where the tape is applied over the label on abottle containing a medicinal prescription.

It is accordingly desirable to provide a dispenser wherein the tape maybe torn upwardly with its dry side against a cutter bar. An example ofsuch a structure will be found in US. Pat. No. 2,324,349 to Atkins.However, prior art structures of this type, while providing a partialsolution, have not eliminated the smudging problem as the sticky side ofthe roll appendage becomes smudged as it rests on a ledge below thecutter bar prior to being severed from the roll.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is toprovide a dispenser for a cellophane tape roll which allows an unwoundsection or appendage to be grasped at the very end so as to limitsmuding thereof and allow the user to view the entire length of thestrip to be torn from the roll and leaving the remaining unseveredportion of the appendage in convenient position for grasping to tear thenext section therefrom and having a rest or ledge for the unseveredportion that will support that portion without smudging it.

With this and other objects in mind, the invention broadly comprises adispenser having means for supporting a roll of cellophane tape forunwinding about a horizontal axis, said dispenser carrying an elongatedV- shaped cutter bar under which the tape appendage being unwound fromthe roll may be pulled to cause the appendage to curl upwardly and withthe dispenser having a ledge spaced below the cutter bar which has anupwardly opening V-shape so as to engage only the side edges of theappendage when it descends against the ledge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the dispenser.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the dispenser taken online 2-2 of FIG. 1 and showing the tape roll with its unwound portion orappendage extending forwardly in an intermediate position between thecutter bar and ledge in raised cutting and lowered positions in brokenlines.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2showing the tape appendage at rest against the ledge.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing reference characters willbe used to denote like parts or structural features in the differentviews. The dispenser is denoted generally at 10 and may be formed ofsheet metal, plastic, coated paper or any other rigid and relativelyinexpensive material. A roll of conventional pressure sensitivecellophane tap is denoted at l1.The dispenser 10 has a channel shapewith a base or bottom 12 and a pair of upright identical parallel sidewalls 14 and 15. Walls 14 and 15 are provided with punched dimples 16for supporting the center spool 17 of the roll 11 in such a manner as topermit rotation of the roll.

The tape'in roll 11' has an adhesive coating on its inner side relativeto the winding and has its outermost end portion or appendage extendingfrom the roll as at 18 in what may be referred to as a forwardlydirection between plates 14 and 15. At the front end of the dispenser,wall 19 extends upwardly from the base 12 and has a ledge 20,v to beshortly described in detail, formed at its upper end. A longitudinallyextending cutting bar or plate 21 is mounted between walls 14 and 15 inspaced relation above the ledge 20. Plate 21 has a broad V-shape in afore and aft direction with the front and rear portions thereof anglingupwardly as shown in FIG. 2 and at the front edge of the plateisserrated as at 22. It will be noted that the front portion of plate 21extends forwardly a substantial distance beyond wall 19.

The cutter bar 21 has a downwardly facing apex 24 which projects belowthe rear edge 25 of the bar. Accordingly, when the appendage 18 ispulled forwardly along the underside of the bar 21 preliminary totearing a strip therefrom, it will not contact edge 25 but will moveonly along the apex 24 in the position denoted in broken lines at A inFIG. 2. This movement along bar portion 24 causes the tape to take anupward curled set in the manner of a ribbon when a knife edge is pulledtherealong.

When the tape has been pulled outwardly, the desired distance, unwindingfrom the roll 17, the strip to be removed is town upwardly fromappendage 18 along edge 22. Because the tape is held only at the veryend it will be easy for the user to accurately estimate the strip lengthbefore cutting it from the roll. Also, only the terminal portion of thesection will be subject to any smudging by the operators fingers.Because the top surface of section 18 which is pulled against edge 22 isdry, the serrations thereon will remain free from becoming gummed up bythe adhesive on the tape.

After the desired strip has been severed therefrom the appendage 18,having been curled by movement along bar 21 will normally take a set inthe intermediate position denoted in full lines at B in FIG. 2. In thisposition it is conveniently located fore grasping above and below by theoperator preliminary to tearing the next strip. Moreover, the tackyunderside of appendage 18, remaining free of any contact with thedispenser will not become smudged.

In the event that the section 18 loses its set or is accidentallydepressed, it may come to rest against ledge 20 asdenoted in brokenlines at C in FIG. 2. However, this will not affect the tape because ofthe V-shape of the ledge. Only the side edges of the appendage 18 willcontact the ledge at points 26 as shown in FIG. 3.

The shape and position of cutter bar 21 are important in providing asmooth guide surface for pulling tape from the roll without scratchingthe surface thereof along a sharp edge. The relationship between thecutter bar 21 and the front wall 19 is also significant. When appendage18 is in either position B or C it projects forwardly beyond wall 19.This permits the user to move his forefinger upwardly along the frontface of wall 19 until it engages section 18. The thumb can then beplaced against the upper dry surface of the section for pulling thestrip outwardly to be torn off against the cutter bar.

The device disclosed accordingly provides an economical and effectivedispenser for rolled tape.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, whatI claim to be new and desire to pro- I tect by United States LettersPatent is:

1. A device for dispensing pressure sensitive transparent tape from aroll, said tape having its inner wound surface tacky and its outersurface dry, said device comprising:

a. a pair of rigidly interconnected upright fore and aft extendingparallel side walls;

b. retainer means on said side walls for journalling (1. a cutter barfixedly mounted between the side walls above the ledge in spacedrelation thereto;

said cutter bar having a longitudinal fore-and-aft broad V-shape withthe front and rear portions angling upwardly from the apex with thefront portion having a serrated forward edge and the apex lying insubstantial horizontal alignment with the roll axis whereby as the tapeappendage is pulled horizontally forward from the roll it will be pulledunder and along said apex without engaging the front or rear edges ofthe bar;

f. said cutter bar extending a substantial distance forward of saidfront wall and ledge whereby said appendage will always extend over theledge, and

. said ledge having an upwardly opening V-shape in a transversedirection so that only the side edges of the appendage will contact theledge when it comes to rest thereon.

1. A device for dispensing pressure sensitive transparent tape from aroll, said tape having its inner wound surface tacky and its outersurface dry, said device comprising: a. a pair of rigidly interconnectedupright fore and aft extending parallel side walls; b. retainer means onsaid side walls for journalling the tape roll therebetween forrotational movement on a horizontal axis perpendicular to said wallswhereby the tape may be pulled forwardly from the roll as it rotates bymeans of an appendage with the dry side up; c. an upright front wallconnecting said side walls and having a ledge formed at its upper enddisposed forward of the roll; d. a cutter bar fixedly mounted betweenthe side walls above the ledge in spaced relation thereto; e. saidcutter bar having a longitudinal fore-and-aft broad Vshape with thefront and rear portions angling upwardly from the apex with the frontportion having a serrated forward edge and the apex lying in substantialhorizontal alignment with the roll axis whereby as the tape appendage ispulled horizontally forward from the roll it will be pulled under andalong said apex without engaging the front or rear edges of the bar; f.said cutter bar extending a substantial distance forward of said frontwall and ledge whereby said appendage will always extend over the ledge,and g. said ledge having an upwardly opening V-shape in a transversedirection so that only the side edges of the appendage will contact theledge when it comes to rest thereon.